Are today’s organisations mobile enough?

Companies today need to be agile in order to survive. The fast-paced nature of modern business means that those who aren’t using the latest technologies – both inside and outside the organisation – will simply be left in the dust.

Adopting the use of mobile technologies is therefore a must – but just how many companies today are actually making mobility a key strategic priority?

Not enough, according to a survey by recruitment firm Robert Half. The study of more than 2,000 CIOs in the US found that over a quarter (28 per cent) reported that their organisation doesn’t have a mobile technology strategy.

Of those that do, the vast majority (56 per cent) said they employed a combination of apps and mobile-friendly web pages. Organisations in the business services sector were revealed to be the most likely to have a mobile strategy, with 65 per cent using a mixture of apps and mobile web pages.

On the other hand, the healthcare services sector is yet to really catch onto mobility, with just over a third (36 per cent) of respondents in this sector saying they currently have a mobile strategy.

According to John Reed, senior executive director at Robert Half, increasing customer demands in the digital age simply meant organisations had to make mobility a priority.

“To maintain competitive advantage, sectors such as business services and retail need to connect with customers anytime, anywhere, so it’s logical to see them leading the charge in implementing mobile strategies,” he said.

“Compliance issues have made it difficult for the healthcare industry to move as quickly as other sectors, but as consumer demand for mobile health information grows, formal mobile strategies are a necessary next step.”

The competitive advantage gained from being mobile isn’t limited to the customer-facing front. By utilising dynamic, cloud-based solutions such as strategy mapping software, organisations can enhance their internal procedures such as strategic planning.